Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-10-14
NO. 243.

ment began to run higher, and was soon the
eager topic of conversation on the streets and
at the hotels.
| Upon the srrivsl of the traio at Dexter the
Journal man secured a team and drove imme-
dstely 10 the home of Mrs. Barron. This is
a neat white cottage standing short distance
back from the street. Although there were
lights in the house no one answered his re-
peated rings and he was obliged to leave
without seeing her. After hssty supper, he
returned again, and this time WAS more
fortunate. Mrs. Barron was at home and
received him very courteously, She is
quiet. sad faced little body, who has evidently
never emerged from the shadow OF the great
sorrow which came upon her home st her
husbands death. bright faced little boy
was in the room and was full of excitement
regarding the two prisoners whom he had
been at the depot to see. In answer TO the
inquiries of the Journal man Mrs. Barron
made the following statement,
"That the young man Slain had visited
her at her home some time before and made
a full confession 10 her and that she had
| been convinced of the truth of his statements
| He appeared very anxious she said to
know how it would affect me, and frequently
asked me if blamed him for the
parthe had borne in the affair.
did not say that | did, but at the
same time | told him that | thought if the
business was as repugnant to him as he said
it was, he might have escaped from it."
What reply did he make to thst?"
'lie said that he had run away thrse diff
feren; times, once to New York, when it cost
his father $500 to get him back home again"
"How did he happen to call on you?"
HE was visiting some relatives of his
wife who reside in this vicinity, and cane in
company with one of them"
| "How did he know the particulars of the
| robbery when as he says he was waiting with
the team at Bingham and Solon?"
| ''He said that his father had been very sick
once and fearing that he should die confessed
to HIM all the details of the robbery"
As the reporter was preparing TO leave he
spoke TO the little boy and inquired his age.
'He was year and nine months old when his
father died." answered the mother The
scribe could not repress feeling of admira-
ton for the unwavering persistency with which
this loyal little woman has clung TO a belief
in her husbands honor. From her home the re-
perter went to the hotels and about the street to
see what views were entertained by the citizens
regarding the matter.
"What do the people here think now con-
cernng the death of MIR. Barron2" he asked a
| prominent citizen.
"Well, if you had asked that question this
morning should have told you that large
| majority bplipypd that ha cop,p,ittaJ auicida
but since this news has reached us the tide
appears to be turning in the opposite direc-
tion."
"What do the bank officials say in regard
to it?"
| Well, they take the same ground which
they always have. They say that they have
| spent thousands of dollars to prove that Mr..
Barron was murdered and have been unable
to do it. If these new developments shall
prove him innocent of suicide they shall be
| glad of it,"
"What do they say regarding young Stains
confession?"
"That it contains a great many discrepan.
cies with the facts that were known at the
| time"
"What are some of them?"
"Well, he states for one thing that on the
dav of the robbery Andrews occupied an
office on the opposite side of the street from
the bank which he had take n for that pur-
pose, and that Stain and Cromwell came
down from the office, crossed the street and
| effected an entrance to the bank. Now the
facts of the case are these: Andrews was
in an office opposite the bank on the after
noon of the robbery, but it was the law office
of V. A. Sprague and he was there under ar
rest for debt So you see he did not take
the Office but the office took him."
"Who is this Apdrews?"
| "He is a man who came here purporting to
be in the insurance business. Kelly and
Thompson who were with him great deal
were claimed to be his agents, but inquiries
failed to show where any of them had ever
done any business. They we're regarded on
this account with suspicion
"Did Andrews leave town on the night of
the robbery"
"No; he was found at his boarding place
that very night and remained here for a num-
Der OF weeks after the robbery. After leav-
ing here he went to Bangor and is there at
the present time"
"What other inconsistency do you note in
young Stains statements?'
"Well the statement that he drove the
burglars away from the place in a wagon.
Now as the robbery was committed on the
22nd OF February, at time when there was
three feet of snow on the ground be would
have been apt to have found it pretty hard
wheeling. This part of his story is of course
absurd"
"How about the cruel ostracism which it
is said Mrs. Barron has suffered at the hands
of the community
"Tbat is certainly an error. Mrs. Barron's
bearing under the great sorrow of her hus-
bards death won her the general respect and
admiration Of the whole community. They
have all along sympathzed with her most
sincerely, She has however kept herself
very much in seclusion si c. the robbery.
Perhaps the knowledge she may have had
that large number in the community be-
lieved that her husband committed suicide
may have had something to do with this re-
tirement. She certainly has no reoson to
complain OF the bearing of our people tow
ards herself and child.'
Down in front of the post Office which is
under the bank where the robbery occurred
the Journal man found Capt, II. L. Wood,
the postmaster Of the town. The Captain
was in the post office at the time of the rob-
berry and was the first one to discover the dy-
ing man.
81 cannot account for the affair."" he SAID.
at seems impossible to me that Young
/ Stains confession can be correct During